Amanda
Mercier
Chief Data and Analytics Officer at US Army Special Operations Command
"The Courage to Build: How Tiny Moments of Belief Can Transform a Career, a Culture, and a Future"
"The Courage to Build: How Tiny Moments of Belief Can Transform a Career, a Culture, and a Future"
Tue May 12 - 11:10 AM EDT/New York (See in local time)
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05/12/2026 11:10 AM
05/12/2026 11:30 AM
America/New_York
#WTGC2026
"The Courage to Build: How Tiny Moments of Belief Can Transform a Career, a Culture, and a Future"
#WTGC2026
"The Courage to Build: How Tiny Moments of Belief Can Transform a Career, a Culture, and a Future"
https://www.womentech.net/ringcentral
https://www.womentech.net/ringcentral
"The Courage to Build: How Tiny Moments of Belief Can Transform a Career, a Culture, and a Future"
"The Courage to Build: How Tiny Moments of Belief Can Transform a Career, a Culture, and a Future"
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Session: The Courage to Build: How Tiny Moments of Belief Can Transform a Career, a Culture, and a Future
We often imagine transformation as a single bold leap — but the truth is that remarkable careers, groundbreaking technologies, and cultural revolutions are built from hundreds of tiny, almost invisible moments of belief.In this talk, Amanda shares her unlikely journey from small beginnings to becoming the Chief Data & Analytics Officer for a 56,000-person special operations organization — and a builder of digital transformation movements that changed how thousands learn, lead, and innovate. But the real story isn’t the title or the technology. It’s the series of small, human moments that made the impossible feel achievable: a conversation with a colleague that sparked a vision, a stranger in a coffee shop who encouraged her patent idea, a friend who helped her install GitHub Copilot, a furlough that gave her space to build, and the courage to take one small step… then another.
Women in tech don’t need more pressure to be extraordinary. They need permission to begin where they are, with what they have. This talk offers a hopeful, practical roadmap for anyone who wants to build — a career, a capability, a culture — one courageous moment at a time.
Key Takeaways
- 1. Big transformations are built from small, courageous moments. You don’t need massive resources or perfect conditions to start building something meaningful—you need a spark of belief and the willingness to take the next small step.
- 2. Technical innovation succeeds only when culture evolves with it. Tools don’t transform organizations—people do. Leaders must create environments where experimentation, learning, and curiosity are the norm.
- 3. Your background is not a limitation; it’s a differentiator. Unconventional journeys produce unconventional solutions. Your unique story is an asset in spaces where diverse perspectives fuel innovation.
- 4. Digital literacy is a leadership skill, not a job title. Everyone—from executives to frontline teams—can participate in shaping the future when they have access to the skills and language of technology.
- 5. Women lead differently—and that difference is a strategic advantage. Empathy, adaptability, collaboration, and resilience are not “soft skills.” They’re the core drivers of modern transformation, and women are uniquely positioned to model them at scal
Bio
Amanda is the Chief Data & Analytics Officer for a 56,000-person special operations organization, where she leads enterprise-wide digital transformation and builds modern data and technology capabilities at scale. A former Microsoft leader and lifelong builder, she has spent her career helping complex organizations unlock the power of data, elevate digital literacy, and create cultures that embrace innovation.She is known for translating ambitious visions into practical change. Amanda is also an entrepreneur, currently developing a patent-pending nutrition technology app that blends advanced analytics with intuitive design.
Her work sits at the intersection of leadership, technology, and human potential. She is passionate about helping women see themselves as architects of change and inspiring teams to build boldly—one courageous step at a time.
